


These Marvelous Creatures

by sladeninstitute



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Prompt Fic, Requited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-18 16:03:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14216754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sladeninstitute/pseuds/sladeninstitute
Summary: Julian Bashir is looking after Spot on DS9 while Commander Data is away. Spot goes on a journey and finds himself in the quarters of one "plain and simple tailor," Elim Garak. Julian is obligated to retrieve the cat he's been entrusted to protect, with some interesting results.Based on the prompt: Person A is supposed to be catsitting but somehow the cat got into Person B’s apartment. So to answer Person B’s question, no they are not a burglar, they’re just trying to find their cat.





	These Marvelous Creatures

**Author's Note:**

> This is a milestone fic for me! It is my first work for both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the Julian Bashir/Elim Garak ship!
> 
> I have tried to be as true to the characters as I could, but please cut me some slack. Bashir and Garak are new voices for me and it's always a little bit daunting to write two new characters (even when they're deeply entrenched in Trek lore!)

Julian Bashir scrambled down the dark, distinctly Cardassian hallways of Deep Space Nine in search of his mark, a moderately sized orange tabby named Spot. What surprised the doctor was just how quickly the fluffy little monster could go. Julian would turn one corner only to see Spot going around the next corner, eight feet ahead of him.

_“You don’t have any business catsitting, Julian!”_ The voice inside his head repeated this phrase over and over as he ran after Spot.

What madness had come over him to get him to agree in the first place? Perhaps a sense of kinship with Commander Data. After all, they both longed to be strictly human. Julian was a post-Eugenics human augment, and Data was the only android in the Federation. Data and the USS _Enterprise_ were off to explore the uncharted Odyssean Pass and Data thought that Spot would be safer on Deep Space Nine than on a starship in uncharted territory. Julian wondered if Data would reassess that if he knew that Spot had escaped on DS9.

It had all been an accident, Julian obviously hadn’t meant to let Spot out of his quarters. He had just been summoned to Ops by Captain Sisko and was on the way out of his door when Spot leapt down from the countertop and made his mad dash to freedom in one fluid motion. Julian threw himself to the floor, arms outstretched in the hope that he could catch Spot before the cat got too far away. Laying in the open doorway, Julian blew a few errant strands of hair from his face and tapped his combadge.

“Bashir to Captain Sisko. I’m afraid I have a bit of a problem, sir.”

“Care to explain, Doctor?”

“I’ve uh…Spot has gotten out. Run away, perhaps.”

“Spot? Commander Data’s cat?”

“Yes, sir. The very same.”

An awkward silence hung in the air. Bashir could imagine that Sisko, along with everyone in Ops, were probably exchanging exasperated looks about their chief medical officer and his new mishap.

“You’ve got an hour to find that cat. After that, I expect you in Ops whether or not Spot has been found. Sisko out.”

A resigned sigh escaped from him as he stood up to dust himself off. He had one hour to find a missing cat that could be anywhere on Deep Space Nine by now. Because of the station’s history as a Cardassian mining operation, there were still several areas scattered around that Starfleet hadn’t yet converted into anything useful. Julian hoped against hope that Spot wouldn’t wander into one of those areas and accidentally set off one of the booby traps that had been left behind when the Cardassians withdrew from the station. Julian made haste after Spot, hoping that he would find him before the hour was up.

* * *

 

Thirty-seven minutes into his allotted hour, Julian found himself watching as Spot leapt from the floor into an air vent that was missing its cover up on the wall beside the door of the residential quarters. From all his conversations with Chief O’Brien, Julian knew that the vent opened up into the room behind the wall. It felt like the first lucky break he had gotten.

Julian felt that luck turn sour as he read the nameplate beside the door. _Elim Garak._ The only Cardassian left on DS9. The intriguing, shifty, equal parts intimidating and attractive “plain and simple tailor” who, for all Julian knew, still had ties to the mysterious Obsidian Order. Who knew what Garak would do if he caught the station’s chief medical officer in his quarters? Julian had ideas about what he wanted Garak to do to him but none of them were realistic. Taking a deep breath, he moved in front of the door and spoke.

“Computer, open the door to Chamber 901, Habitat Level H-3. Authorization Bashir-1-Alpha.”

“Acknowledged, authorization code accepted.”

The sliding doors in front of him hissed and retracted into the wall, all of Garak’s personal quarters now easily accessible to him. Dr. Bashir expediently crossed the threshold and heard the telltale hiss of the doors closing behind him. Spot was nowhere to be seen and Julian was certain that he hadn’t just gone out the closing door behind him.

Bashir took a few cautious steps into the spartan living area, trying to be silent. He felt a certain amount of trepidation being in here. Garak had tried to kill him one of the last times he had been in this room. Rationality told Julian that Garak hadn’t been himself that time, he had been suffering from the effects of a brain implant gone haywire. Rationality did nothing to soothe the fear that was just at the edge of his consciousness, threatening to overtake and incapacitate him if he dwelled on it too long.

A glance at the ceiling revealed where the air vent opened into the room, just above the grey couch that sat along the wall to his left. Julian moved with purpose to the couch, leaning down to search under it. Spot wasn’t there.

From behind him, a familiar lilting voice rang out.

“Ah, my dear doctor. What a pleasant surprise! I did not know I was to expect visitors today.”

Julian’s blood froze inside his veins. Garak was home. Spinning on his heels to face the Cardassian, a boyish smile crossed his face when he saw what was in Garak’s arms.

“You’ve found Spot!”

Garak’s eyes slid from Julian to the orange ball of fur in his arms.

“I assume, then, that this…furry _thing_ is yours?”

“Not exactly. He belongs to Commander Data from the _Enterprise._ ”

“Oh yes, the first android in Starfleet. Why then, if I may ask, are you and he in my quarters?”

“I was catsitting and Spot made a run for it. I’ve been chasing the little bugger around the station for almost three quarters of an hour.”

“I see.”

Julian wiped sweat from his brow. Garak’s quarters were sweltering, mimicking the environment on Cardassia Prime. Garak licked his lips almost unnoticeably, his eyes fixed on Julian like a predator fixes his eyes on prey. Sweat rolled down Julian’s back, sending a chill down his spine.

“You know, Julian, the gossipmongers on the station might think you and I are romantically involved. With the way you’ve misused security codes in order to access my room, I just might believe it myself. It’s encouraging to see you take my teachings to heart. If you were Cardassian, you would be a good fit for the Obsidian Order.”

Julian’s eyes widened and he threw up his hands to mount a defense. Garak simply looked amused as he stroked the fur of the creature in his arms.

“It’s not like that Garak and you know it! I’m here to collect the cat and that’s all. I didn’t even know you’d be home! This is platonic. Strictly platonic.”

A sly smile crossed the Cardassian’s face.

“Of course, dear doctor. This is all strictly platonic.” His eyes moved from Julian to the cat in his arms. “Spot. Creatures like him are called cats in the Federation?”

“Cats or felines. There’s a whole taxonomical chart you can pull up in the station database.” Julian sounded positively exasperated. He was running out of time and fielding Garak’s questions was not something he had time for.

“Can I have him back now, please? Sisko needs me in Ops and I’ve ten minutes to get Spot back to my quarters and report for duty.”

Garak leaned down, gingerly placing Spot into the doctor’s waiting arms. The tabby cat was purring so loudly that it could be heard without leaning in.

“It does seem that Spot’s taking quite a liking to you, Mr. Garak.”

“I believe that cat knows who he can trust. Perhaps you’ll learn the same in time.”

Julian nodded slightly and made for the door. He had one foot in the hallway when Garak called after him. When he turned to look back, Garak had already closed the space in between them.

“Doctor, a moment if you will. These cats truly are marvelous creatures. I really _must_ thank Commander Data for allowing you to catsit. But for now, a parting gift. Consider it a thank you for the time I got to spend with Spot.”

Garak’s hands came to rest on either side of Bashir’s face as he moved in to kiss him. As their lips met, fireworks exploded inside Julian’s mind. He had dreamed of this moment, fantasized about it endlessly, but never imagined that it would come true. Julian leaned in, readjusting Spot in his arms as he shared breathless kisses with _the_ Elim Garak. He felt his face flush as Garak began moving his kisses lower and lower on Julian’s body. They both knew where this was going, and for the first time in his life Julian gave real thought to “losing his combadge” and shirking off his duty for a little while.

As if the fates meant to conspire against them, the combadge on Julian’s breast began to chirp. Julian reluctantly pulled away from the kiss and tapped the combadge to answer the call.

“Sisko to Bashir. What is your status?”

“I’ve just found Spot, Captain Sisko. Requesting permission to return him to my quarters before reporting to Ops.”

“Granted. Sisko out.”

A sad smile crossed Julian’s face.

“I have to go. Duty calls.”

Garak flashed the knowing smile that had made Julian feel faint the first day they met at the replimat.

“I believe that we have a lot to talk about at our next lunch, young Doctor Bashir. Now go before Captain Sisko has you hauled to the brig.” Garak’s blue eyes twinkled with affection as he spoke. He gave Julian a slight push through the doorway to get him going.

“And perhaps keep this to yourself for now, Julian. You are, of course, aware how the people on this station love to gossip.”

As he walked away with Spot still in his arms, Julian hoped he would be seeing those blue eyes again up close. Garak was right, thanks _were_ in order for Commander Data.


End file.
